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Possessive article 'sein' (his/its)

Possessivartikel 'sein' (his/its)

'sein' (his/its) is the for 'er' and 'es'.

Structure

sein (m/n) / seine (f/pl) + Nomen

sein (m/n) / seine (f/pl) + noun

Details

Part of Speech
Article
Word Type
Possessive article
Register
Standard

Explanation

sein means his or its - it is the for a masculine or neuter owner (er, es). For example der Mannsein, das Kindsein.

The ending follows the OWNED noun, not the owner. Even though the owner is male, the ending depends only on what is possessed.

The forms (nominative):

  • masculine: sein - sein Hund (his dog)
  • neuter: sein - sein Auto (his car)
  • feminine: seine - seine Frau (his wife)
  • : seine - seine Kinder (his children)

Examples:

  • Sein Hund ist klein. - His dog is small.
  • Seine Mutter wohnt in Berlin. - His mother lives in Berlin.
  • Das Kind sucht seine Schuhe. - The child is looking for its shoes.

Common mistakes:

  • Using sein for a female owner - her is ihr, not sein.
  • masculine adds -en: Er sucht seinen Hund (He is looking for his dog).

About Possessive article 'sein' (his/its)

'sein' (his/its) is the for 'er' and 'es'.

of 'er'/'es'; ending depends on the owned (sein/seine).

'sein' ist das zu 'er' und 'es'.

Caution

'sein' belongs to a masculine or neuter owner (der Mann → sein, das Kind → sein). The ending matches the owned noun.